Method of making footwear components

ABSTRACT

A method is provided of making an upper for an article of footwear, the method including applying a liquid to select portions of a first substrate sheet of material, applying a powder to the first substrate sheet of material, applying suction to the first substrate sheet of material in order to remove the powder from portions of the first substrate sheet of material that are not coated with the liquid to form a selectively powdered sheet of material, applying additional liquid, additional powder, and additional suction to additional substrate sheets of material to form a stack of selectively powdered sheets of material, using compression and heat to join the stack of selectively powdered sheets of material into a partially cured structure, and removing uncured portions of sheet material from the partially cured structure leaving a cured structure. Different portions of the cured structure can have different properties.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/748,275, filed May 19, 2022, which claims priority from U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/190,326, filed May 19, 2021,and from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/190,335, filedMay 19, 2021, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein byreference in their entireties.

BACKGROUND

Attempts are being made to expedite production of many consumer goods byusing additive manufacturing, such as 3D printing. In the case offootwear, additive manufacturing is limited to single materials, andthus, the ability to vary the properties of different portions of afootwear component is restricted. While separate components can be 3Dprinted of different materials and then joined together, it would bedesirable to additively manufacture footwear components in a manner thatenables different portions of the same component to have differentproperties.

The present disclosure is directed to methods of additive manufacturingfor articles of footwear that address at least some of the limitationsand considerations discussed above.

SUMMARY

In example embodiments, a method of making an upper for an article offootwear comprises applying a liquid to select portions of a firstsubstrate sheet of material, applying a powder to the first substratesheet of material, applying suction to the first substrate sheet ofmaterial in order to remove the powder from portions of the firstsubstrate sheet of material that are not coated with the liquid to forma selectively powdered sheet of material, applying additional liquid,additional powder, and additional suction to additional substrate sheetsof material to form a stack of selectively powdered sheets of material,using compression and heat to join the stack of selectively powderedsheets of material into a partially cured structure, and removinguncured portions of sheet material from the partially cured structureleaving a cured structure. Different portions of the cured structurehave different properties.

The applying powder to one or more substrate sheets can compriseapplying two or more powders comprising different polymers to thedifferent portions.

The cured structure can be a substantially flat flexible sheet.Alternatively, the cured structure can also have a three-dimensionalshape that defines an upper. The cured structure can further include aplurality of nested uppers for a plurality of articles of footwear.

Other systems, methods, features, and advantages of the embodiments willbe, or will become, apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art uponexamination of the following figures and detailed description. It isintended that all such additional systems, methods, features, andadvantages be included within this description and this summary, bewithin the scope of the embodiments, and be protected by the followingclaims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The embodiments can be better understood with reference to the followingdrawings and description. The components in the figures are notnecessarily to scale, with emphasis instead being placed uponillustrating the principles of the embodiments. Moreover, in thefigures, like reference numerals designate corresponding partsthroughout the different views.

FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of an article of footwear;

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of components of an article offootwear;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a flat substrate sheet withliquid being sprayed on in the form of a flat upper;

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of powder being applied to theflat substrate sheet after the application of the spray-on liquid asshown in FIG. 3 ;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the powder being vacuumed off thesubstrate sheet from areas that were not sprayed with the liquid;

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a process of forming an upperby applying heat and pressure to multiple powdered sheets;

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a cured block of substratesheets being media blasted to remove uncured portions;

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of one powder being applied toform one portion of an upper and a different powder being applied toform another portion of the upper;

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an upper formed of twodifferent materials;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart indicating a method of making an upper for anarticle of footwear;

FIG. 11A is a schematic perspective bottom view of a sole plate formedwith different materials;

FIG. 11B is a flowchart showing a method of making a soleplate for anarticle of footwear;

FIG. 12A is a schematic perspective view of a process of a dissolvedpolymer being sprayed onto a platform to form a nonwoven polymer sheet;

FIG. 12B is a schematic perspective view of the nonwoven polymer sheetformed in the process shown in FIG. 12A with liquid being sprayed on inthe form of a flat footwear upper;

FIG. 12C is a schematic perspective view of powder being applied to thenonwoven sheet with the liquid sprayed upper;

FIG. 12D is a schematic perspective view of powder being vacuumed off ofareas of the nonwoven sheet that were not sprayed with the liquid;

FIG. 13 is a schematic view multiple layers of upper being joined withheat and pressure;

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of different spray-on polymers being sprayedonto different portions of an article of footwear; and

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing another method of making an upper for anarticle of footwear.

FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view of multiple uppers being formedin a nested configuration;

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of two sets of nested uppersbeing formed on the same substrate sheet;

FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view of multiple nested uppers beingformed using a spray-on polymer substrate sheet;

FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of powder being applied to thespray-on polymer substrate sheet; and

FIG. 20 is a schematic cutaway cross-sectional view of multiple uppersmanufactured in a nested manner for a plurality of articles of footwear.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following detailed description, reference is made to theaccompanying figures which form a part hereof wherein like numeralsdesignate like parts throughout, and in which is shown, by way ofillustration, embodiments that may be practiced. It is to be understoodthat other embodiments may be utilized, and structural or logicalchanges may be made without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure. Therefore, the following detailed description is not to betaken in a limiting sense, and the scope of embodiments is defined bythe appended claims and their equivalents.

Aspects of the disclosure are disclosed in the accompanying description.Alternate embodiments of the present disclosure and their equivalentsmay be devised without parting from the spirit or scope of the presentdisclosure. It should be noted that any discussion herein regarding “oneembodiment”, “an embodiment”, “an exemplary embodiment”, and the likeindicate that the embodiment described may include a particular feature,structure, or characteristic, and that such particular feature,structure, or characteristic may not necessarily be included in everyembodiment. In addition, references to the foregoing do not necessarilycomprise a reference to the same embodiment. Finally, irrespective ofwhether it is explicitly described, one of ordinary skill in the artwould readily appreciate that each of the particular features,structures, or characteristics of the given embodiments may be utilizedin connection or combination with those of any other embodimentdiscussed herein.

Various operations may be described as multiple discrete actions oroperations in turn, in a manner that is most helpful in understandingthe claimed subject matter. However, the order of description should notbe construed as to imply that these operations are necessarily orderdependent. In particular, these operations may not be performed in theorder of presentation. Operations described may be performed in adifferent order than the described embodiment. Various additionaloperations may be performed and/or described operations may be omittedin additional embodiments.

For the purposes of the present disclosure, the phrase “A and/or B”means (A), (B), or (A and B). For the purposes of the presentdisclosure, the phrase “A, B, and/or C” means (A), (B), (C), (A and B),(A and C), (B and C), or (A, B and C).

The terms “comprising,” “including,” “having,” and the like, as usedwith respect to embodiments of the present disclosure, are synonymous.

The present disclosure may be relevant to a variety of articles offootwear, including, but are not limited to, hiking boots, soccer shoes,football shoes, sneakers, running shoes, cross-training shoes, rugbyshoes, basketball shoes, baseball shoes as well as other kinds of shoes.Moreover, in some embodiments, components may be configured for variouskinds of non-sports-related footwear, including, but not limited to,slippers, sandals, high-heeled footwear, loafers as well as any otherkinds of footwear.

To assist and clarify the subsequent description of various embodiments,various terms are defined herein. Unless otherwise indicated, thefollowing definitions apply throughout this specification (including theclaims). For consistency and convenience, directional adjectives areemployed throughout this detailed description corresponding to theillustrated embodiments.

In accordance with embodiments described herein, methods of forming anupper for an article of footwear are described herein, where a pluralityof substrate sheets are combined to form the upper. In some exampleembodiments, the plurality of substrate sheets can be combined to form asingle upper. In other example embodiments, the plurality of substratesheets can be combined to simultaneously form a plurality of uppers(e.g., where the plurality of uppers includes a nested configuration ofuppers). Further, in certain embodiments, the plurality of substratesheets combine to form a generally planar stacked structure (e.g., ablank) that defines a thickness (in the stacked direction) of the flatupper, where the generally planar stacked structure is then manipulated(e.g., placed around a shoe last) to form the three-dimensional featuresof the upper. In other embodiments, the plurality of substrate sheetscombine to form the upper having its three-dimensional shape.

FIG. 1 illustrates an article of footwear 100 manufactured by any of themethods described below. The various components of footwear 100 aredescribed below for purposes of general reference. For example, footwear100 may include an upper 105 configured to enclose, or substantiallyenclose the foot of a wearer. In addition, footwear 100 may include asole structure 104 secured to the bottom portion of footwear 100 andconfigured to contact the ground. As shown in FIG. 1 , in someembodiments, sole structure 104 may include an outsole 110, which may befixedly attached directly to upper 105. For example, in cleated shoes,such as the exemplary footwear 100, the sole layering may be minimized,and thus, outsole 110 may be directly attached to upper 105. In somecases, such a cleated outsole may be referred to as a “soleplate.” Inother embodiments, footwear 100 may include a midsole (not shown), whichmay include various structural components, such as one or morecushioning elements. In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 , sole structure104 may include an insole (or “sockliner”) 115. Insole 115 may includeminimal cushioning and may provide a generally soft surface with whichthe foot of the wearer may interface.

Also, in some embodiments, sole structure 104 may include an additionalstructural component, such as a support plate 120. Support plate 120 mayprovide properties targeted to particular areas of the foot. Forexample, support plate 120 may be relatively rigid in certain areas ofthe foot, and relatively flexible in other regions of the foot.

As illustrated in FIG. 1 , article of footwear 100 may be divided intothree regions: forefoot region 130, midfoot region 135, and heel region140. Forefoot region 130 may be generally associated with the toes andjoints connecting the metatarsals with the phalanges. Midfoot region 135may be generally associated with the arch of a foot, including theinstep. Likewise, heel region 140 or “hindfoot” may be generallyassociated with the heel of a foot, including the calcaneus bone.

For purposes of this disclosure, the following directional terms, whenused in reference to an article of footwear, shall refer to the articleof footwear when sitting in an upright position, with the sole facingthe ground, that is, as it would be positioned when worn by a wearerstanding on a substantially level surface.

The term “longitudinal,” as used throughout this detailed descriptionand in the claims, refers to a direction extending along the length of acomponent. For example, a longitudinal direction of an article offootwear extends from forefoot region 130 to heel region 140 of articleof footwear 100. The term “forward” or “front” is used to refer to thegeneral direction in which the toes of a foot point, and the term“rearward” or “back” is used to refer to the opposite direction, i.e.,the direction in which the heel of the foot is facing.

The term “lateral direction,” as used throughout this detaileddescription and in the claims, refers to a side-to-side directionextending along the width of a component. In other words, the lateraldirection may extend between a medial side and lateral side of footwear100, with the lateral side of footwear 100 being the surface that facesaway from the other foot, and the medial side being the surface thatfaces toward the other foot.

The term “vertical,” as used throughout this detailed description and inthe claims, refers to a direction generally perpendicular to both thelateral and longitudinal directions. For example, in cases where anarticle of footwear is planted flat on a ground surface, the verticaldirection may extend from the ground surface upward. It will beunderstood that each of these directional adjectives may be applied toindividual components of an article of footwear. The term “upward”refers to the vertical direction heading away from a ground surface,while the term “downward” refers to the vertical direction headingtoward the ground surface. Similarly, the terms “top,” “upper,” andother similar terms refer to the portion of an object substantiallyfurthest from the ground in a vertical direction, and the terms“bottom,” “lower,” and other similar terms refer to the portion of anobject substantially closest to the ground in a vertical direction.

It will be understood that the forefoot region, the midfoot region, andthe heel region are only intended for purposes of description and arenot intended to demarcate precise regions of an article of footwear. Forexample, in some cases, one or more of the regions may overlap.Likewise, the medial side and the lateral side are intended to representgenerally two sides, rather than precisely demarcating an article offootwear into two halves. In addition, the forefoot region, the midfootregion, and the heel region, as well as the medial side and the lateralside, may also be applied to individual components of an article offootwear, including a sole structure, an upper, a lacing system, and/orany other component associated with the article.

Upper 105 and the sole structure may define an internal cavity. The“interior” of an article of footwear refers to space in this internalcavity that is occupied by a wearer's foot when the article of footwearis worn. The “inner side” or “inside” of an element refers to the faceof that element that is (or will be) oriented toward the internal cavityin a completed article of footwear. The “outer side,” “outside,” or“exterior” of an element refers to the face of that element that is (orwill be) oriented away from the internal cavity in the completed articleof footwear 100. In some cases, the inner side of an element may haveother elements between that inner side and the interior in the completedarticle of footwear 100. Similarly, an outer side of an element may haveother elements between that outer side and the space external to thecompleted article of footwear 100. Further, the terms “inward” and“inwardly” shall refer to the direction toward the interior of thearticle of footwear, and the terms “outward” and “outwardly” shall referto the direction toward the exterior of article of footwear 100.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “fixedly attached” shall referto two components joined in a manner such that the components may not bereadily separated (for example, without destroying one or both of thecomponents). Exemplary modalities of fixed attachment may includejoining with permanent adhesive, rivets, stitches, nails, staples,welding or other thermal bonding, or other joining techniques. Inaddition, two components may be “fixedly attached” by virtue of beingintegrally formed, for example, in a molding process.

For purposes of this disclosure, the term “removably attached” shallrefer to the joining of two components in a manner such that the twocomponents are secured together, but may be readily detached from oneanother. Examples of removable attachment mechanisms may include hookand loop fasteners, friction fit connections, interference fitconnections, threaded connectors, cam-locking connectors, and other suchreadily detachable connectors. Similarly, “removably disposed” shallrefer to the assembly of two components in a non-permanent fashion.

Upper 105 provides a covering for the wearer's foot that comfortablyreceives and securely positions the foot with respect to the solestructure. In general, as shown in FIG. 1 , upper 105 includes anopening 125 that provides entry for the foot into an interior cavity ofupper 105 in heel region 140. An upper may be of a variety of stylesdepending on factors such as desired use and required ankle mobility.For example, an athletic shoe with an upper having a “low-top”configuration extending below the ankle that is shaped to provide highmobility for an ankle. An upper could be configured as a “high-top”upper extending above the wearer's ankle for basketball or otheractivities, or as a “mid-top” configuration extending to about thewearer's ankle. Furthermore, an upper may also include non-athleticshoes, such as dress shoes, loafers, sandals, and work boots.

Upper 105 may also include other known features in the art including atongue, heel tabs, loops, etc. In some embodiments, upper 105 mayinclude a fastener on a fastening region of the upper. For example, thefastening provision may be lacing system 122, or “lace,” applied at afastening region of upper 105. Other kinds of fastening provisions,include, but are not limited to, laces, cables, straps, buttons, zippersas well as any other provisions known in the art for fastening articles.For a lacing system, the fastening region may comprise one or moreeyelets. The fastening region may comprise one or more tabs, loops,hooks, D-rings, hollows, or any other provisions known in the art forfastening regions.

Sole structure 104 is positioned between a foot of a wearer and theground, and may incorporate various component elements. Upper 105 andsole structure 104 may be coupled using any conventional or suitablemanner, such as adhesion or bonding, via a woven connection, via one ormore types of fasteners, etc. In some cases, a sole structure and anupper may be combined together in a single unitary construction.

Sole structure 104 may contact a ground surface and have variousfeatures to deal with the ground surface. Examples of ground surfacesinclude, but are not limited to, indoor ground surfaces such as wood andconcrete floors, pavement, natural turf, synthetic turf, dirt, as wellas other surfaces. In some cases, the lower portions of sole structure104 may include provisions for traction, including, but not limited to,traction elements, studs, and/or cleats.

Sole structure 104 may be made of a variety of any suitable material orpluralities of materials for a variety of functions. For example, one ormore components of sole structure 104, such as the midsole, may beformed from a polymer foam (e.g., a polyurethane or ethylvinylacetatefoam) material that attenuates ground reaction forces (i.e., providescushioning) during walking, running, and other ambulatory activities. Inaddition, the components of a sole may also include gels, fluid-filledchambers, plates, moderators, inserts, or other elements that furtherattenuate forces, enhance stability, or influence the motions of thefoot. In addition, the other components may have specific surfaceproperties, such as an outsole being made from a durable material, suchas carbon or blown rubber, which is further textured to impart traction.Furthermore, the insole may be made from a waterproof material such asethylvinylacetate to prevent moisture seeping into the sole.

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded view of components of an article offootwear. As shown in FIG. 2 , footwear 100 may include upper 105,insole 115, inner sole board 120, and soleplate 110. The presentdisclosure is directed to an additive manufacturing process for formingcomponents of an article of footwear. Generally, the methods andmaterials below may be applicable for forming all components illustratedin FIG. 2 . In some embodiments, however, insole 115 may be formed usingother methods.

An example embodiment of a manufacturing process for forming an upperfrom a plurality of stacked substrate sheets is now described withreference to FIGS. 3-7 . The process starts with a flat substrate sheetof material, and a liquid is added to the sheet in select locations. Apowdered polymer (e.g., a thermoplastic or thermoset polymer) is thenspread over the entire sheet. Then, suction is applied, which vacuumsaway any powder that is not stuck to the selectively located liquid.This process is repeated to form multiple sheets with selectivelylocated polymer. These sheets form the layers of an additivemanufacturing process. In order to join the layers, heat and pressureare used. The heat and pressure at least partially melt the polymer,which adheres adjacent substrate sheets to one another. Once thesubstrate sheets are attached to one another, the portions of the sheetsthat are not attached with melted polymer are removed, for example,using media blasting or a solvent. What is left is an upper that may beshaped around a last and attached to a sole structure to form an articleof footwear. Each of these steps is discussed in further detail below.

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of a flat substrate sheet withliquid being sprayed on in the form of a flat upper. In particular, FIG.3 shows a substrate sheet of material 300. The substrate sheet can beany suitable textile or other material having sufficient flexibility toprovide suitable properties for forming the upper. For example, thesubstrate can comprise any suitable fabric, such as a woven fabric, aknitted fabric, a nonwoven fabric, etc., that is formed from yarns,filaments or fibers comprising any one or more suitable materialsincluding, without limitation, cellulosic materials (e.g., cotton,bamboo) and proteins (e.g., wool, silk, and soybean), polyolefins (e.g.,polyethylene, polypropylene, etc.), polyesters (e.g., polyethyleneterephthalate or PET and poly(trimethylene terephthalate)),polycaprolactam, poly(hexamethylene adipamide), acrylic, polyurethane,acetate, rayon, polyamide (nylon), aramid (e.g., Kevlar), dissolvable(e.g., water soluble polymers) such as polylactic acid (PLA), and anyselected combinations and/or copolymers thereof. The substrate sheetscan further be formed of an elastic material (e.g., a material with highstretch and recovery properties, such as elastane) or a non-elasticmaterial (e.g., a material with little or no stretch properties). Forexample, substrate sheets can be provided that comprise an elastanematerial. Alternatively, the substrate sheet can be formed of alaminated or other polymer sheet that comprises any one or more of thepreviously noted (or other) polymer materials. Further still, and asdescribed in further detail herein, the substrate sheet can comprise anonwoven material that is be formed via a spray forming process in whichfibers of one or more types are combined in a binder that is sprayedonto a surface to form the nonwoven substrate sheet.

Liquid may be sprayed onto substrate sheet 300 using a spraying device320. In some embodiments, an inkjet printer (which may be modified forusing different liquids) may be used to apply a liquid to selectportions of substrate sheet 300. The liquid may be applied to form aliquid-sprayed upper shape 305. FIG. 3 illustrates a sprayed portion310, illustrated with stippling, and an area 315, bounded by dashedlines and forming the remainder of the upper, but which has not yet beensprayed. An exemplary path of the spraying device 320 is illustrated byan arrow 325. Alternatively, spraying device 320 may remain stationaryand substrate sheet 300 may be moved while the application of liquidtakes place.

The liquid that is applied to the substrate can be water or otheraqueous based solution. The liquid can also be alcohol, ketones, esters,acetates, an oil (e.g., soybean, oil, linseed oil or other vegetable oiland/or a petroleum oil) and/or any other organic solution. The liquidcan also include any material that inhibits or minimizes evaporation ofthe liquid. For example, the liquid can comprise water with glycoland/or pyrrolidinone added to the water to inhibit evaporation of thewater. The liquid can further be provided having a certainhydrophilicity or hydrophobicity that enhances placement of the liquidalong the surface of the substrate sheet (e.g., attracts or repels theliquid to desired areas along the substrate sheet surface).

FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of powder being applied to theflat substrate sheet after the application of the spray-on liquid asshown in FIG. 3 . As shown in FIG. 4 , liquid-sprayed upper shape 305 iscompletely sprayed. FIG. 4 further shows the application of powder tothe entire (or substantially entire) substrate sheet 300, as illustratedby a set of arrows 410.

The powder comprises particulates of one or more polymer materials. Thepolymer materials can comprise any suitable thermoplastic polymers orthermoset polymers which, when heated to a sufficient temperature, meltand fuse the particles together to form a solid laminate or compositelayer. Some non-limiting examples of polymer particulates that can beused as the powder (which is melted to form a layer) include polyolefins(e.g., polyethylene), polyesters, epoxides, ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVA)and polyurethanes (e.g., thermoplastic polyurethane, or TPU).

Referring again to FIG. 4 , the powder adheres to the liquid-sprayedupper shape 305, as illustrated by a powdered area 420 of liquid-sprayedupper shape 305. The powdered area 420, which includes both liquid andpowder, is indicated by more densely populated stippling as compared toliquid-sprayed area 415, which only includes liquid.

The application of powder is performed by a stationary powder dispensingmechanism (not shown). Substrate sheet 300 is moved under the powderdispensing mechanism by a conveyor 400, as indicated by an arrow 405showing the direction of conveyance. It will be understood that theorientation of substrate sheet 300 during this process may vary.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the powder being vacuumed off thesubstrate sheet from areas that were not sprayed with the liquid. Asuction may be applied to substrate sheet 300, as indicated by a set ofarrows 500. As illustrated by FIG. 5 , all of the powder is removed fromportions of substrate sheet 300 that are not coated with the liquid toform a selectively powdered sheet of material. That is, because thepowder is adhered to the liquid in liquid-sprayed upper shape 305, thisshape remains coated with powder after the remaining powder is vacuumedaway. It will be understood that some of the powder in powdered area 420may be removed, but a layer of powder remains adhered to the liquid inpowdered area 420 after the suction is applied.

As shown in FIG. 5 , the same or similar conveyor 400 used for powderapplication may also be used to move substrate sheet 300 while suctionis applied by a stationary vacuum device (not shown). It will beunderstood that other methods of applying and removing powder may beused. The processes illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5 are intended to beschematic, conveying the concepts of applying and removing powdergenerally. Those having ordinary skill in the art will readily recognizeother suitable processes for applying and removing powder.

The processes shown in FIGS. 3-5 may be repeated multiple times to forma plurality of selectively powdered sheets. That is, the method mayinclude applying additional liquid, additional powder, and additionalsuction to additional substrate sheets of material to form a stack ofselectively powdered sheets of material. The shape of the selectivelypowdered area will vary slightly from sheet to sheet, as would layers ina 3D printed object. In the present process, however, instead ofprinting each layer onto the previous layer, each layer is formedseparately, and then joined in a subsequent process. Thus, this stack ofsheets may be joined to one another using heat and pressure.

FIG. 6 is a schematic perspective view of a process of forming an upperby applying heat and pressure to multiple powdered sheets. As shown inFIG. 6 , a stack 600 of powdered sheets may be compressed between afirst plate 605 and a second plate 610, as indicated by a first arrow615 and a second arrow 620. In addition, heat may be applied to thestack during compression. The heat melts the polymer powder on eachsheet and selectively joins adjacent sheets to one another, therebyforming a partially cured structure. That is, only the powdered sectionsare “cured,” meaning that the non-powdered sections of the sheets areuncured, i.e., not attached to one another. It will be understood thatFIG. 6 is presented to illustrate the process of applying heat andpressure schematically. Those of ordinary skill in the art will readilyrecognize suitable shapes and configurations for first plate 605 andsecond plate 610, as well as suitable mechanisms for applying heat tothe stack of powdered sheets.

Once the powdered sheets are joined with heat and pressure, the excessmaterial (the uncured substrate sheet material) may be removed. In somecases, this may be done using media blasting. In some cases, this may bedone using a solvent, which dissolves the uncured substrate material,but not the cured powder material. In still other cases, this may bedone by melting. That is, the substrate material may melt at a lowertemperature than the cured portions of the stack.

FIG. 7 is a schematic perspective view of a cured block of substratesheets being media blasted to remove uncured portions. For example, thestack 700 of substrate sheets may be joined to form a cured structure705. The uncured portion 710 of stack 700 may be removed, for example,using media blasting, as shown in FIG. 7 , leaving only cured structure705. A media blasting device 715 is schematically illustrated in FIG. 7. It will be understood that the media blasting device may have anysuitable configuration. Cured structure 705, once freed from stack 700,is a substantially flat flexible sheet configured to be formed into anupper of an article of footwear. That is, the flat flexible sheet may beshaped on a last to form an upper.

Using this technique of forming an upper enables the upper to be formedwith intricate shapes and surface geometries. For example, the upper maybe formed with perforations, surface textures, ribs, bumps, ridges, etc.

In addition, different portions of the substantially flat flexible sheetmay be formed to have different properties. For example, in someembodiments, different materials may be used to form different portionsof the upper. For example, in some cases, a heel counter or toe cap maybe formed to be more rigid than other portions of the upper. In someembodiments, portions having a different property may include surfacetexture elements that are that are more compressible than other portionsof the upper. Locations along lateral and/or medial side portions and/orother portions (e.g., front and/or heel portions) of the upper can alsobe imparted with different properties, such as varying elasticproperties, varying rigid properties, varying porosity propertiesthrough the upper, etc.

Additionally, or alternatively, the different properties may be producedby using different materials for different substrate sheets of material.Additionally, or alternatively, the different properties may be producedfor different areas of the footwear by differing the amount of powderapplied. In some cases, more powder may be applied by slowing down thespeed at which the substrate sheet is conveyed beneath the powderdispensing device.

FIG. 8 is a schematic perspective view of one powder material beingapplied to form one portion of an upper and a different powder materialbeing applied to form another portion of the upper. As shown in FIG. 8 ,a substrate sheet 800 with a liquid-sprayed upper shape 805 sprayed ontoit may have two different powders applied to it. For example, a firstset of arrows 810 indicates a first type of powder applied to a firstarea 815 of substrate sheet 800, and a second set of arrows 820indicates a second type of powder being applied to a second area 825 ofsubstrate sheet 800.

FIG. 9 is a schematic perspective view of an upper formed of twodifferent materials. That is, after applying different powders as shownin FIG. 8 , then applying suction and joining a stack of such powderedsheets, the resulting upper may appear as shown in FIG. 9 . As shown inFIG. 9 , an upper 900 may have a front portion 905 formed of a firstmaterial and a rear portion 910 formed of a second material. Forexample, in some embodiments, front portion 905 may be formed of arelatively flexible and/or elastic material, whereas rear portion 910may be formed of a relatively stiff and/or inelastic material.

As previously noted, a number of different types of polymers may be usedto form the powders which facilitate fusing together of substrate sheetsto form the upper. In addition, a number of different types of polymersand/or other materials can also be used to form the substrate sheets,where the substrate sheets can be fibrous layers, such as woven, knittedor nonwoven layers and/or a continuous, laminate layer of one or morepolymers. In some embodiments, thermoplastics may be used for either orboth the sheet materials and the powders. In some embodiments, materialssuch as polyethylene, polyester, EVA, TPU, and/or other polymericmaterials suitable for footwear uppers may be utilized.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart indicating a method of making an upper for anarticle of footwear. As shown in FIG. 10 , in a first step 1000, liquidis applied to a substrate sheet. In a second step 1005, powder isapplied to the substrate sheet. In step 1010, suction is applied to thesubstrate sheet to remove excess powder from unsprayed portions of thesheet. This process may be repeated to form multiple powdered substratesheets. In step 1015, heat and pressure are applied to a stack ofpowdered substrate sheets. Finally, in step 1020, uncured portions ofsheet material are removed, leaving a flat sheet (upper) having portionswith different properties. As discussed above, the different propertiesmay be provided by using different materials for the substrate sheetsand/or using different powders for different areas of the upper.Additionally, different properties may be provided by applying differentamounts of powder to different portions of the upper.

In addition to uppers, the process described above in FIGS. 3-10 mayalso be utilized to form other components of an article of footwear. Forexample, a soleplate, such as for a cleated shoe may be formed usingthis process. Further, such a process may facilitate forming thesoleplate out of multiple materials.

FIG. 11A is a schematic perspective bottom view of a sole plate formedwith different materials. FIG. 11A shows a soleplate 1100 formed of atleast two different materials. For example, a first portion 1105 ofsoleplate 1100 may be formed of a first material, such as EVA and/orTPU, whereas a second portion 1110 of soleplate 1100 may be formed ofcarbon fiber and/or nylon. By forming second portion 1110 from a morerigid material, cleats 1115 may be better supported, while otherportions of soleplate 1100 may be more flexible. In some embodiments, athird portion of soleplate 1100 may be formed of a third material.Further, by using this process, additional details, texture components,and/or traction elements may be formed in soleplate 1100.

As with the uppers discussed above, the soleplates may be formed havingdifferent properties in different portions of the soleplate. Asdiscussed above, in some embodiments, different properties may beproduced by using different materials in different areas of thesoleplate. In some embodiments, the different properties may be producedby using two or more different powders. In some embodiments, thedifferent properties may be produced by using different amounts ofpowder in different areas. In some embodiments, the different propertiesare produced by using different materials for the additional sheets ofmaterial.

For soleplates, more rigid materials may be used than for uppers.Accordingly, substrate sheets other than polymers may be used. Forexample, carbon fiber substrate sheets may be used to form portions of asoleplate, or the entirety of a soleplate. The methods for removinguncured portions of such substrate sheets may be varied accordingly. Forexample, media blasting may be suitable for removing uncured portions ofcarbon fiber sheets.

FIG. 11B is a flowchart showing a method of making a soleplate for anarticle of footwear. As shown in FIG. 11B, step 1120 may includeapplying a liquid to select portions of a first substrate sheet ofmaterial. Step 1125 may include applying powder, including one or morepowder materials, to the first substrate sheet of material. Step 1130may include applying suction to the first substrate sheet of material inorder to remove the powder from portions of the first substrate sheet ofmaterial that are not coated with the liquid to form a selectivelypowdered sheet of material. This process may be repeated to formmultiple powdered sheets by applying additional liquid, additionalpowder, and additional suction to additional substrate sheets ofmaterial to form a stack of selectively powdered sheets of material.Then, in step 1135, the method may include using compression and heat tojoin the stack of selectively powdered sheets of material into apartially cured structure. Finally, step 1140 may include removinguncured portions of sheet material from the partially cured structureleaving a sole plate formed of different materials in different areas ofthe sole plate.

As previously noted herein, the substrate sheet layers can comprisenonwoven layers that are formed with a spray forming process. Forexample, the substrate layers may be formed by spraying a solutioncontaining a polymer dissolved in or carried by a solvent, where thesolvent evaporates or is dried when the solution is sprayed, leaving anonwoven polymer sheet. In another example, a spray forming process isutilized to form a nonwoven polymer sheet by spraying a solutioncomprising polymer fibers (e.g., staple fibers, such as fibers of atleast about 0.01 mm in length and no greater than about 20 mm in length)in a binder onto a surface. The sprayed on binder and fiber mixture isdried, set or cured so as to form a nonwoven, fibrous polymer substrate.For example, polymer fibers comprising one or more polymers of anysuitable type, such as those previously noted herein, can be providedwithin a binder material that facilitates spray forming of the nonwovenlayer. The binder material can comprise, e.g., a suitable organicsolvent (e.g., a C2-C12 alkane, ether, alcohol, ketone or ester)combined with a suitable block copolymer (e.g., apolystyrene-polybutadiene-polystyrene block copolymer) such that, whencombined with the staple fibers, the binder material provides a suitableviscosity for the fibrous material composition to be sprayed onto thesurface so as to form the nonwoven, fibrous material substrate sheet.

Following the formation of the nonwoven polymer sheet, a similar processas that discussed above may be used. For example, on top of the nonwovenpolymer sheet, a liquid may be sprayed in an area having the shape of afootwear upper. Then, a polymer powder may be applied to the sheet andthen vacuumed off, leaving polymer powder only in the area to which theliquid was applied. Multiple sheets formed in this manner may be stackedand melded together with heat and compression. Then areas surroundingthe footwear upper may be removed by one of several processes. Forexample, in some embodiments, the excess material may be removed withmedia blasting or a laser. In other embodiments, the excess material maybe dissolved away with a solvent.

FIGS. 12A-D illustrate the steps of forming an upper using a sprayed-onnonwoven polymer base. FIG. 12A is a schematic perspective view of aprocess of a spray forming a liquid onto a platform to form a nonwovenpolymer sheet. As shown in FIG. 12A, a conveyor 1200 may move in adirection 1205 as a liquid is applied to the platform or conveyor belt.The application of liquid is illustrated by a series of arrows 1210. Asthe liquid is sprayed, the binder and fibers are dried, set or cured toform a nonwoven polymer sheet 1215. It will be understood that, whileFIG. 12A shows spray from a stationary sprayer onto a moving conveyor,in some embodiments, the platform may be stationary and the sprayer maybe moved. In some embodiments, both the platform and the sprayer may bemoved during the process.

FIG. 12B is a schematic perspective view of the nonwoven polymer sheetformed in the process shown in FIG. 12A with liquid being sprayed on inthe form of a flat footwear upper. As shown in FIG. 12B, liquid issprayed onto nonwoven polymer sheet 1215 in a select region in the shapeof a footwear upper, identified by a boundary line 1225. FIG. 12B alsoshows an area 1220 to which the liquid has been applied by a sprayingdevice 1230. For example, in some embodiments, spraying device 1230 maybe moved along a path illustrated by an arrow 1235. The remainder of theupper region is illustrated by an as yet unsprayed region 1240.

FIG. 12C is a schematic perspective view of powder being applied to thenonwoven sheet with the liquid sprayed upper. As shown in FIG. 12C, anoutline 1245 illustrates the liquid sprayed upper area. The applicationof powder is illustrated by a plurality of arrows 1255. Area 1250 showsan unpowdered region of the upper, whereas area 1260 shows a powderedregion of the upper. This application of powder may be performed using aconveyor as shown, or some other device that moves the nonwoven sheet.Alternatively, the sheet may be held stationary and the powderapplication device may be moved. As yet another alternative, both thenonwoven sheet and the powder application device may be moved.

FIG. 12D is a schematic perspective view of powder being vacuumed off ofareas of the nonwoven sheet that were not sprayed with the liquid. Theremoval of powder from the nonwoven sheet is illustrated by a pluralityof arrows 1265. The powder is vacuumed off of the areas that have notbeen sprayed with the liquid.

FIG. 13 is a schematic view multiple layers formed by the process abovebeing joined with heat and pressure. As shown in FIG. 13 , a stack 1300of polymer sheets may be joined using compression indicated by a firstarrow 1305 and a second arrow 1310. In addition, the stack may be heatedduring compression to at least partially melt the polymer layers andjoin them to one another. This results in a cured structure in the formof a substantially flat flexible sheet configured to be formed into anupper of an article of footwear.

In some embodiments, different portions of the substantially flatflexible sheet may have different properties. For example, differentspray-on polymers may be sprayed to form different portions of theupper. This may be accomplished by spraying different dissolved polymersin different regions when forming the nonwoven polymer sheet.Alternatively or additionally, different dissolved polymers may besprayed in targeted regions of the upper. This may be done as part ofthe nonwoven polymer sheet or on top of a previously formed nonwovenpolymer sheet formed with a different dissolved polymer.

FIG. 14 is a schematic view of different spray-on polymers being sprayedonto different portions of an article of footwear. As shown in FIG. 14 ,a polymer layer 1400 may be formed with a first area 1405 sprayed of afirst material, and a second area 1410 sprayed of a different material.For example, as shown in FIG. 14 , second area 1410 represents a heelcounter portion of the upper. The heel counter may be formed of arelatively stiffer material as compared to the first area 1405 ofpolymer layer 1400.

Different nozzles may be used to spray different materials. For example,as shown in FIG. 14 , a first nozzle 1415 may be used to spray the firstmaterial to form first area 1405 of polymer layer 1400, and a secondnozzle 1420 may be used to form second area 1410 of polymer layer 1400.

In some embodiments, different portions of the uppers may be formed withdifferent properties by using different quantities of sprayed-onpolymer. In some cases, different amounts of polymer may be applied byvarying a conveying speed of a conveyor carrying a substrate upon whichthe polymer layers are formed.

FIG. 15 is a flowchart showing a method of making an upper for anarticle of footwear using the technique discussed above. In particular,in step 1500, a spray-on polymer layer may be formed, that is, byspraying forming a nonwoven polymer sheet. At step 1505, a liquid may besprayed to select portions of the nonwoven polymer sheet in the shape ofa flat footwear upper. At step 1510, a polymer powder may be applied tothe nonwoven polymer sheet. The powder sticks to the liquid sprayed ontoselect portions of the sheet. Then, in step 1515, the powder may beremoved (e.g., with a vacuum) from the portions of the sheet that werenot sprayed with the liquid. At step 1520, the process involves making adetermination as to whether the desired amount of layers have beenprepared to form the upper. If not, the process returns to the start tobegin forming another layer. If so, the process proceeds to step 1525,in which heat and pressure may be applied to a stack of the polymerlayers to produce an upper. Following these steps, the excess materialmay be removed from around the upper, as shown and discussed withrespect to FIG. 7 . Once the excess material has been removed, the flatupper may be formed into a three-dimensional upper, for example bymounting it on a last and stitching or bonding the left and right heelportions to one another.

A benefit of forming a nonwoven polymer sheet via a spray formingprocess is that an additional, manipulatable component is added to theassembly. For example, not only may the polymer powder be selected, butalso the polymer fibers used to form the nonwoven substrate. Inaddition, the amounts of each of these polymers may be varied. Also, theamount of polymer layers used to form the upper may be varied. Thus, theproperties of the upper may be manipulated significantly.

The embodiments described for forming an upper as depicted in FIGS. 3-10and 12-15 relate to forming an upper with a series of layers, where thelayers form a thickness of the upper and result in a general planarconfiguration for the upper shape. In other words and, e.g., as depictedin FIG. 7 , the structure that is formed is a flat upper (e.g., a blankor template for the upper) that is then used to form a three-dimensionalupper (e.g., by placing the flat upper on a last with further processingto form the upper). However, utilizing the additive manufacturingtechniques as described herein, uppers can be formed three-dimensionallywith the combining of the stacked layers. In addition, a plurality ofuppers can be formed simultaneously with the stacking of layers.

For example, the additive manufacturing techniques discussed in detailabove, the formation of multiple nested uppers can be achieved in amanner as described with reference to FIGS. 16-20 .

FIG. 16 is a schematic perspective view of multiple uppers being formedin a nested configuration. Similar to the process discussed above forflat-formed uppers (i.e., blanks or templates that are used to shape andform upper), as shown in FIG. 16 , the nested uppers may be formed byspraying liquid in a pattern. For example, as shown in FIG. 16 , asubstrate sheet 1600 may have a liquid sprayed onto it (e.g., using aninkjet printer as described above) to form a first upper portion 1605, asecond upper portion 1610, and a third upper portion 1615. A liquidspraying device 1620 is illustrated schematically, as is its path, whichis shown by an arrow 1625. It will be noted that, for purposes ofillustration, the layer shown in FIG. 16 is from a middle portion of theuppers. That is, the layer shown in FIG. 16 is not the first layer to beformed.

As with the flat-formed uppers described above, subsequent to thisliquid application process shown in FIG. 16 , powder may be applied tosubstrate sheet 1600. Then, the powder may be removed from thenon-sprayed portions of substrate sheet 1600 to form powdered areas. Thepowdered sheets may be arranged in a stack and joined using heat andpressure as described above. The uncured portions of the joined stacksmay then be removed using techniques such as media blasting, solvents,and/or melting.

In some embodiments, different powders may be applied to the substratesheets of material, wherein one powder forms the uppers and one powderforms a spacer material between the uppers. Those of ordinary skill inthe art will readily recognize methods for selectively applyingdifferent powders to different areas of a substrate sheet.

In some embodiments, substrate waste may be minimized by arranginguppers on the substrate sheets in the manner shoes are arranged in ashoebox. That is, by forming the uppers on their sides with the soleportions facing away from one another in opposite directions, a largerportion of the substrate sheets may be utilized.

FIG. 17 is a schematic perspective view of two sets of nested uppersbeing formed on the same substrate sheet. For example, as shown in FIG.17 , the uppers may be formed oriented on their side. In particular, asubstrate sheet 1700 may include a first set of uppers 1705 formed ontheir side, and a second set of uppers 1710 formed on their side. Asillustrated in FIG. 17 , these sets of uppers are arranged as shoeswould be within a shoebox in order to maximize the use of substratesheet 1700. In other embodiments, the nested uppers can also be formedin an orientation in which each upper is in its upright position, wherethe successively stacked substrate sheets are aligned in a verticalorientation of the uppers (i.e., bottom to top of each upper).

In some embodiments, multiple nested uppers may be formed using aspray-on polymer to form nonwoven polymer substrate sheets upon whichthe layers of multiple nested uppers may be formed. That is, the methodillustrated in FIGS. 12A through 13 may be utilized to form multiplenested uppers instead of one flat upper. Accordingly, the substratesheets upon which the multiple nested uppers are built may be formedusing the spray-on process shown in FIG. 12A. Once the substrate sheetsare formed, the uppers may be built upon the pre-formed sheets.

FIG. 18 is a schematic perspective view of multiple nested uppers beingformed using a spray-on polymer substrate sheet. As shown in FIG. 18 ,multiple nested uppers may be formed upon a nonwoven substrate sheet1800 formed, for example, using the method shown in FIG. 12A. As shownin FIG. 18 , the nested uppers may be formed by spraying liquid in apattern. For example, as shown in FIG. 18 , substrate sheet 1800 mayhave a liquid sprayed onto it (e.g., using an inkjet printer asdescribed above) to form a first upper portion 1805, a second upperportion 1810, and a third upper portion 1815. A liquid spraying device1620 is illustrated schematically, as is its path, which is shown by anarrow 1825. It will be noted that, for purposes of illustration, thelayer shown in FIG. 18 is from a middle portion of the uppers. That is,the layer shown in FIG. 18 is not the first layer to be formed.

As with the flat-formed uppers described above, subsequent to thisliquid application process shown in FIG. 18 , powder may be applied tosubstrate sheet 1800. FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of powderbeing applied to the spray-on polymer nonwoven substrate sheet. Asillustrated by a plurality of arrows 1900 in FIG. 19 , a powder isapplied to substrate sheet 1800. FIG. 19 shows sheet 1800 approximately40% covered with powder. That is, FIG. 19 shows a powdered portion 1905and an unpowdered portion 1910.

Once the entire area occupied by the first upper portion 1805, secondupper portion 1810, and third upper portion 1825 is covered with powder,the powder may be removed from the non-sprayed portions of substratesheet 1800 to form powdered areas. Again, the powder sticks to theliquid sprayed areas, and thus, the powder in the liquid sprayed areasis not removed by the vacuuming process. An exemplary vacuuming processis shown in FIG. 12D and discussed above. A similar process may be usedwhen forming multiple nested uppers.

Multiple sheets may be formed in a similar manner in order to form themultiple nested uppers in a type of additive manufacturing process. Thatis, multiple powdered sheets may be arranged in a stack and joined usingheat and pressure as described above. The uncured portions of the joinedstacks may then be removed using techniques such as media blasting,solvents, and/or melting. For the spaces between the multiple nesteduppers, removal techniques such as solvents and/or melting may beutilized. In some cases, the same solvent that served as the carrier forthe dissolved polymer material that was used to form the substrate sheetmay be used to remove excess material, since the excess material ismerely the areas of the same substrate sheet to which polymer powder didnot stick.

As shown in FIG. 18 , a layer of multiple nested uppers may be formed ona platform 1800 by spraying a solution containing the polymer dissolvedin a solvent using a spraying device 1805, wherein the solventevaporates when the solution is sprayed, leaving the polymer depositedin select areas to form the first polymer layer. As shown in FIG. 18 ,the layer may include a first upper portion 1810, a second upperportion, 1815, and a third upper portion 1820. The layer may alsoinclude spacer material, for example, in a first spacer area 1825between first upper portion 1810 and second upper portion 1815. Inaddition, a second spacer area 1830 may be disposed between second upperportion 1815 and third upper portion 1820. Also, a third spacer area1835 may be disposed in a central region within the area that will formthe internal cavity of the innermost upper.

Additional layers may be formed by applying additional polymer byspraying a solution containing the additional polymer to form a stack ofpolymer layers. It will be noted that, for purposes of illustration, thelayer shown in FIG. 18 is from a middle portion of the uppers. That is,the layer shown in FIG. 18 is not the first layer to be formed. Themethod may then use compression and heat to join the stack of polymerlayers into a cured structure similar to the embodiments discussedabove.

In some embodiments, different portions of one or more of the uppers maybe formed to have different properties than other portions of the sameupper. In some embodiments, the different properties are provided byusing different quantities of sprayed-on polymer. In some cases,different amounts of polymer are applied by varying a conveying speed ofa conveyor carrying a substrate upon which the polymer layers areformed. In some embodiments, different materials are used within thesame upper to provide different properties.

FIG. 19 is a schematic perspective view of multiple nested uppers beingformed using different spray-on polymers for different portions of theuppers. FIG. 19 shows a method of forming one or more of the nesteduppers to have different properties in different areas. For example, asshown in FIG. 19 , a set of uppers are formed on a platform 1900. Afirst portion 1905 of a first upper may be formed of a first sprayed-onpolymer delivered by a first nozzle 1915, whereas a second portion 1910of the first upper may be formed of a second sprayed-on polymerdelivered by a second nozzle 1920. In the present case, the secondportion 1910 may be in a rear portion of the upper which will be locatedin an Achilles tendon area of the footwear. This portion may be formedof a softer and/or more flexible material than the rest of the upper.

The embodiment of FIG. 20 shows an example of a plurality of nesteduppers 200 being formed utilizing the process as described herein anddepicted in FIGS. 16-19 . In particular, FIG. 20 depicts a schematiccutaway cross-sectional view of multiple uppers manufactured in a nestedmanner for a plurality of articles of footwear. In particular, a firstupper 205 may be formed as the outermost upper. A second upper 210 maybe formed within and spaced from first upper 205. In addition, a thirdupper 215 may be formed within and spaced from second upper 210.

In order to provide spacing between the uppers, the arrangement may beformed with a spacer material between the layers, where the spacermaterial is subsequently removed to separate the nested uppers from eachother. The spacer material can be formed from substrate and powdermaterial that can be removed from the uppers in a manner similar to thatpreviously described herein (e.g., via dissolving, media blasting,etc.). For example, a first spacer layer 220 may be formed between firstupper 205 and second upper 210. A second spacer layer 225 may be formedbetween second upper 210 and third upper 215. In addition, in order tomaintain the shape of the innermost layer (i.e., third upper 215), theinner cavity 230 may be filled with spacer material. It will beunderstood that the number of uppers formed in this nested manner mayvary.

The embodiments herein are shown with three nested uppers, however, anynumber of uppers may be nested depending upon the thickness of eachupper. In some embodiments, an entire size run (e.g., sizes 1-15,including half sizes) may be manufactured this way. In some embodiments,less than all of the sizes in the size run may be formed in a singleset. For example, every other size may be formed together in order toincrease spacing between each upper. For example, full sizes may beformed in one set of nested uppers, and half sizes may be formed in asecond set of nested uppers. For similar reasons, in some cases, everythird size may be formed together, which may provide even more spacingbetween uppers.

It will also be noted that, using this technique of nested uppers, insome cases, the sole portion of the upper may be integrally formed withthe rest of the upper, as shown in FIG. 2 . In other cases, only thesides, front, back, and top of the upper may be formed together. Also,while FIG. 2 illustrates the top portion, or vamp, of the upperintegrally formed with the rest of the upper, a separate or selectivelyattached tongue may be formed instead, as desired.

Thus, in example embodiments depicted herein, a method of making anupper for an article of footwear comprises applying a liquid to selectportions of a first substrate sheet of material, applying a powder tothe first substrate sheet of material, applying suction to the firstsubstrate sheet of material in order to remove the powder from portionsof the first substrate sheet of material that are not coated with theliquid to form a selectively powdered sheet of material, applyingadditional liquid, additional powder, and additional suction toadditional substrate sheets of material to form a stack of selectivelypowdered sheets of material, using compression and heat to join thestack of selectively powdered sheets of material into a partially curedstructure, removing uncured portions of sheet material from thepartially cured structure leaving a cured structure, wherein the curedstructure is a substantially flat flexible sheet, and forming the flatflexible sheet into a three-dimensional upper for an article offootwear.

In additional example embodiments, a method of making an upper for anarticle of footwear comprises applying a liquid to select portions of afirst substrate sheet of material, applying a powder to the firstsubstrate sheet of material, applying suction to the first substratesheet of material in order to remove the powder from portions of thefirst substrate sheet of material that are not coated with the liquid toform a selectively powdered sheet of material, applying additionalliquid, additional powder, and additional suction to additionalsubstrate sheets of material to form a stack of selectively powderedsheets of material, using compression and heat to join the stack ofselectively powdered sheets of material into a partially curedstructure, and removing uncured portions of sheet material from thepartially cured structure leaving a cured structure. Different portionsof the cured structure can have different properties.

In other example embodiments described herein, a method of making anupper for an article of footwear comprises applying a liquid to selectportions of a first substrate sheet of material, applying a powder tothe first substrate sheet of material, applying suction to the firstsubstrate sheet of material in order to remove the powder from portionsof the first substrate sheet of material that are not coated with theliquid to form a selectively powdered sheet of material, applyingadditional liquid, additional powder, and additional suction toadditional substrate sheets of material to form a stack of selectivelypowdered sheets of material, using compression and heat to join thestack of selectively powdered sheets of material into a partially curedstructure, and removing uncured portions of sheet material from thepartially cured structure leaving a cured structure. The cured structureis a substantially flat flexible sheet configured to be formed into anupper of an article of footwear, and different portions of thesubstantially flat flexible sheet have different properties.

Media blasting is used to remove uncured portions of the partially curedstructure. Alternatively, a solvent is used to dissolve uncured portionsof the partially cured structure.

The different properties can be produced by two or more differentpowders. The different properties can be produced by using differentamounts of powder in different areas. Different amounts of powder can beapplied by varying a conveying speed of a conveyor carrying the sheets.

The different properties can be produced by using different materialsfor different substrate sheets of material.

A portion having a different property can include a heel counter that ismore rigid than other portions of the upper.

Portions having a different property can include surface textureelements that are that are more compressible than other portions of theupper.

In further example embodiments, a method of making a sole plate for anarticle of footwear comprises applying a liquid to select portions of afirst substrate sheet of material, applying powder, including one ormore powder materials, to the first substrate sheet of material,applying suction to the first substrate sheet of material in order toremove the powder from portions of the first substrate sheet of materialthat are not coated with the liquid to form a selectively powdered sheetof material, applying additional liquid, additional powder, andadditional suction to additional substrate sheets of material to form astack of selectively powdered sheets of material, using compression andheat to join the stack of selectively powdered sheets of material into apartially cured structure, and removing uncured portions of sheetmaterial from the partially cured structure leaving a cured structure.The cured structure includes a sole plate formed of different materialsin different areas of the sole plate.

The different properties can be produced by two or more differentpowders. The different properties can also be produced by usingdifferent amounts of powder in different areas. Further, the differentproperties can be produced by using different materials for theadditional sheets of material.

Media blasting can be used to remove uncured portions of the partiallycured structure. A solvent can also be used to dissolve uncured portionsof the partially cured structure.

In other example embodiments, a method of making an upper for an articleof footwear comprises forming a first polymer layer by spray forming anonwoven polymer sheet, spraying a liquid onto the nonwoven polymersheet in select areas in the shape of a footwear upper, applying apolymer powder to the nonwoven polymer sheet, applying suction to removepolymer powder from unsprayed areas of the nonwoven polymer sheet,forming a plurality of additional polymer layers substantially similarto the first polymer layer and stacking the additional polymer layerswith the first polymer layer to form a stack of polymer layers, andusing compression and heat to join the stack of polymer layers into acured structure. The cured structure is a substantially flat flexiblesheet configured to be formed into an upper of an article of footwear.

Different portions of the uppers can be formed with different propertiesby using different sprayed-on polymers during the spray forming of thenonwoven polymer sheet. Different portions of the uppers can also beformed with different properties by using different quantities ofsprayed-on polymer during spray forming of the nonwoven polymer sheet.Different amounts of polymer can be applied by varying a conveying speedof a conveyor carrying a substrate upon which the polymer layers areformed.

In further example embodiments as described herein, a method ofsimultaneously making multiple uppers for a plurality of articles offootwear comprises applying a liquid to select portions of a firstsubstrate sheet of material, applying a powder to the first substratesheet of material, applying suction to the first substrate sheet ofmaterial in order to remove the powder from portions of the firstsubstrate sheet of material that are not coated with the liquid to forma selectively powdered sheet of material, applying additional liquid,additional powder, and additional suction to additional substrate sheetsof material to form a stack of selectively powdered sheets of material,using compression and heat to join the stack of selectively powderedsheets of material into a partially cured structure, and removinguncured portions of sheet material from the partially cured structureleaving a cured structure. The cured structure includes multiple nesteduppers for multiple articles of footwear.

Different powders can be applied to the substrate sheets of material,wherein one powder forms the uppers and one powder forms a spacermaterial between the uppers. Media blasting is used to remove uncuredportions of the partially cured structure. A solvent can also be used todissolve uncured portions of the partially cured structure.

Select sizes of a footwear size run can be formed by the curedstructure, where different sized uppers are formed as part of themultiple nested uppers.

The articles of footwear can be formed oriented on their side. Two curedstructures can be formed from the stack of selectively powdered sheetsof material. In addition, two cured structures can be oriented oppositeone another.

Forming the cured structure can include forming one or more of thenested uppers to have different properties in different areas. Thedifferent properties can be produced by two or more different powders.

The first and/or subsequent substrate sheets can further comprise anonwoven polymer sheet formed by a spray forming process.

While various embodiments have been described, the description isintended to be exemplary, rather than limiting, and it will be apparentto those of ordinary skill in the art that many more embodiments andimplementations are possible that are within the scope of theembodiments. Although many possible combinations of features are shownin the accompanying figures and discussed in this detailed description,many other combinations of the disclosed features are possible. Anyfeature of any embodiment may be used in combination with, orsubstituted for, any other feature or element in any other embodimentunless specifically restricted. Therefore, it will be understood thatany of the features shown and/or discussed in the present disclosure maybe implemented together in any suitable combination. Accordingly, theembodiments are not to be restricted except in light of the attachedclaims and their equivalents. Also, various modifications and changesmay be made within the scope of the attached claims.

1. (canceled)
 2. A method of forming a plate for an article of footwear,comprising: applying a liquid to select portions of a first substratesheet of material; applying a powder to the first substrate sheet ofmaterial; applying suction to the first substrate sheet of material inorder to remove the powder from portions of the first substrate sheet ofmaterial that are not coated with the liquid to form a selectivelypowdered sheet of material; applying additional liquid, additionalpowder, and additional suction to one or more additional substratesheets of material to form a stack of selectively powdered sheets ofmaterial; using compression and heat to join the stack of selectivelypowdered sheets of material into a partially cured structure; andremoving uncured portions of sheet material from the partially curedstructure leaving a cured structure.
 3. The method of claim 2, whereinthe cured structure is a substantially flat flexible sheet.
 4. Themethod of claim 2, further comprising: spray forming a combination ofpolymer and/or carbon fibers and a binder on a surface to form anonwoven sheet; and providing the nonwoven sheet as the first substratesheet of material or as one of the one or more additional substratesheets of material.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein different portionsof the cured structure have different properties.
 6. The method of claim5, wherein applying additional powder to the one or more additionalsubstrate sheets comprises applying two or more powders comprisingdifferent polymers to the different portions.
 7. The method of claim 2,further comprising: forming an article of footwear with the curedstructure.
 8. The method of claim 5, wherein the different portions ofthe cured structure comprise a first portion formed from a firstmaterial and a second portion formed of a second material, the secondportion being more rigid than the first portion.
 9. The method of claim8, wherein the second material comprises carbon and/or nylon.
 10. Amethod of making an upper for an article of footwear, the methodcomprising: applying a liquid to select portions of a first substratesheet of material; applying a powder to the first substrate sheet ofmaterial; removing the powder from portions of the first substrate sheetof material that are not coated with the liquid; and treating the powderto form cured portions of the first substrate sheet of material.
 11. Themethod of claim 10, further comprising: separating uncured portions fromthe first substrate sheet of material, thereby leaving a curedstructure.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein: the powder is a polymerpowder; and treating comprises applying heat effective to melt thepowder.
 13. The method of claim 10, further comprising: applying theliquid to select portions of a second substrate sheet of material;applying the powder to the second substrate sheet of material; removingthe powder from portions of the second substrate sheet of material thatare not coated with the liquid; and stacking the first substrate sheetof material and the second substrate sheet of material to form a stack;wherein treating further comprises treating the powder to form curedportions of the stack.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprisingseparating uncured portions of the first substrate sheet of material,thereby leaving a cured structure.
 15. The method of claim 14, wherein:the powder is a polymer powder; and treating comprises applying heateffective to melt the powder and applying pressure effective to join thefirst substrate sheet of material to the second substrate sheet ofmaterial.
 16. The method of claim 14, wherein removing comprisesapplying suction utilizing a vacuum device.
 17. A method of making anupper for an article of footwear, comprising: applying a liquid toselect portions of a first substrate sheet of material; applying apowder to the liquid on the first substrate sheet of material; treatingthe liquid and powder to form cured portions of the first substratesheet of material; and separating uncured portions from the firstsubstrate sheet of material, leaving a cured structure.
 18. The methodof claim 17, wherein: the powder is a polymer powder; and treatingcomprises applying heat effective to melt the powder.
 19. The method ofclaim 17, further comprising applying suction utilizing a vacuum device.20. The method of claim 17, wherein different portions of the curedstructure have different properties.
 21. The method of claim 20, whereinthe different portions of the cured structure comprise a first portionformed from a first material and a second portion formed of a secondmaterial, the second portion being more rigid than the first portion.